Forgiveness and Friendship
by A Scarlet Rebel
Summary: What really happened after the war? What happened after Percy and Annabeth finally ended up together? How did the forgiveness and friendship flourish between Rachel and Annabeth? HOW did they forgive for the hurt and confusion inside of them? ONESHOT.


_Author's Note:_ Hello readers! It's me, Scars.

I came up with the idea for this little oneshot on the morning bus. I was just staring out of my window, thinking of how I should write a Percy Jackson oneshot and suddenly I began to think about Rachel and Annabeth's flourishing friendship after Rachel is no longer dating Percy and, TA-DA! The idea for this oneshot is born!

It's a bit of a drabble, really, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

-Scars

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Forgiveness and Friendship

Annabeth Chase was walking from her cabin up to Half-Blood Hill. Today was the day that campers left from the camp if they weren't staying year-round.

She had her luggage in her left hand and was headed to the hill at a run. She absolutely _had_ to get there early. She had something to fix.

When she reached to near top of the hill, she set her bags down and began to search the wild crowd of campers leaving and others saying goodbye.

She didn't see Percy anywhere, but that wasn't really who she was looking for.

She kept looking anxiously around, walking forward, tearing her way through the sea of people, asking everyone she passed if they had seen the new oracle. It wasn't until she got to the _very_ top of the hill, the place where the crowds condensed where there were only a _few_ people, that she finally saw a familiar red-head up ahead….

"Rachel!" she shouted, attempting to catch her attention.

The girl whipped around, her hair flying around her face as she spun to face the voice that had just spoken.

When she didn't seem to find the person that called her, Annabeth tried to yell for her again.

"RACHEL!" she cried louder than the first time, this time waving her hands in the air to catch Rachel's eye.

Rachel saw her this time and smiled when their eyes met.

Annabeth returned the grin and motioned her forward.

Rachel looked at her cautiously, but walked forward nonetheless. Not only a few days ago, Annabeth had almost literally wanted to turn her inside out, and she was _guessing_ that it was because of the fact that she had been involved with Percy for a little bit. So, why did she want her to go over there?

She figured that she was pretty safe, now that she wasn't dating Percy anymore.

Rachel walked to rest of the way to Annabeth's side, grinning encouragingly and waving back at her.

"Hey, Annabeth. So, last day of camp, huh?" Her smile suddenly twinged slightly with sadness.

Annabeth looked down at her feet and frowned sadly. "Yeah…," she muttered. Then she looked up and added, "This place has really grown on you, hasn't it?"

Rachel smiled suddenly, sadness almost gone from her face and said, "If I wasn't the new oracle, I'd sneak my way into the camp every summer."

Annabeth laughed. "But don't forget the magical defenses and fire-breathing dragon around this place!"

The two girls just stood there and laughed until their laughs faded into snickers. Then, Annabeth turned to Rachel and began to speak again.

"I've got something to tell you, Rachel." She stretched out her hand to the girl and then asked, "Come on, before your ride gets here."

Rachel looked at her hand as if it were a bomb. Was Annabeth serious? Ok, maybe she was being _a little_ paranoid, but how could she not be? Annabeth had wanted to kill her for 'dating' Percy! But, again, she didn't really see any harm in talking to her. It wasn't like she was going to lead her to her death or something.

Rachel took her hand gingerly and Annabeth smiled.

"Let's go."

Annabeth then started running down the hill, dragging Rachel behind her by the hand. Rachel ran after her, barely catching up.

It felt great to be going at such a speed. It was almost… magical how fast they were racing down the hill. Rachel laughed, looking down, feeling like a bird in the sky as she saw the grass disappear in blurs under her feet. Annabeth laughed too as they gained speed at the steep part of the hill. So the two girls ran, laughing with merriment and carelessness.

When they finally reached the bottom of the infinite hill, just when Rachel thought they would atleast stop to take a breath, Annabeth kept running, pulling Rachel along with her like a rag doll.

"Come on!" she shouted, urging Rachel to go a bit more.

Rachel was forced to run a little further, before they came up to the shore by the lake after their long run. Then, Annabeth let go of Rachel's hand and found a large, flat rock. She sat down, releasing a long sigh. Rachel took the liberty of sitting next to her and doing the same. She hadn't remembered running so much since the last summer, when they were running away from Luke and she had hit him in the head with her plastic blue hairbrush.

She took several deep, relieving breaths to refill her overused lungs.

When she finally found enough air to breathe, she turned to Annabeth, a quizzical look on her face.

"Annabeth?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah?"

"Back at the hill," Rachel began, "you said you were going to tell me something. What was it?"

Annabeth sighed and turned toward the redhead.

"Listen, Rachel…," Annabeth took a deep breath, needing to get her words straight in her mind. "Rachel… I'm REALLY sorry. I'm sorry that I had to be so mean to you when you were… _dating_ Percy."

Rachel smiled sincerely. "That's all right. I guess… fate had other plans for Percy, huh?" She nudged Annabeth lightly in the ribs.

Annabeth laughed sheepishly. Seeing Rachel take her apology in such an _open_ and truly understanding way made her feel even worse. How could everything suddenly be alright? She had been cold to Rachel for falling for Percy, which wasn't very fair for her.

"No… Rachel," she continued, "I mean I'm REALLY sorry. I really am. I shouldn't have been so bitter and cruel to you for dating Percy. Or… even _liking_ him. It wasn't your fault. You didn't even KNOW that I had feelings for Percy, so you couldn't have known you were hurting me. I mean, yeah, you _suspected_ that I liked him and stuff, but still. That gave me no right to treat you the way that I did."

"Annabeth, it's ok. _Really._" Rachel sighed, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her head on the top of her knees. "I knew… in my heart that Percy and I… just _weren't_ meant to be. Sure, I liked him, and he sort of liked me, but, Annabeth," she turned toward the blonde next to her that was gazing off onto the blue water and sky, "Percy had STRONGER feelings for you. I mean, how _couldn't_ he? You've been there since the very beginning, always fighting by his side. I was just an obstacle. Part of the game of love between you two that Aphrodite was controlling. None of us were really to blame. So… I forgive you. _REALLY._"

Rachel smiled at the Athena camper and Annabeth faced her with a grin on her face.

"Yeah. Not to mention that you probably weren't to blame for falling for my Seaweed Brain. He _does_ have his way with the ladies."

Rachel laughed and Annabeth joined her. After they were through laughing, both girls looked off into the horizon, the clear and calm water so peaceful and serene, the setting absolutely perfect for the day.

Rachel sighed and hugged her knees even closer to her chest, the sea breeze chilling her slightly.

"What?" Annabeth asked, sensing something suddenly wrong with Rachel. "Rachel… are you ok?"

Rachel closed her eyes and released and gentle breath. "Annabeth… I'm just… not sure I'm going to survive a WHOLE year away from the camp and you guys at… a stuffy private school."

Annabeth tilted her head to the side and studied her new friend. Rachel always seemed… so put together and controlled. Nothing ever seemed to bother her. But, now that all seemed to be coming apart.

When Rachel made that agreement with her dad about going to that private school that her mother had gone to if he flew her to the where the battle was taking place, Rachel knew it was risky. She KNEW that she would end up going, whether she liked the idea or not. But, at the time, she had only been thinking of her friends at Camp Half-Blood and their safety. It wasn't really until now that she knew what she was really agreeing to.

"Rachel?" Annabeth began, patting her friend's knee reassuringly. "I know you're going to be just fine."

"How do you know that?" Rachel questioned, raising her head to look back at Annabeth.

"Because… you're brave, Rachel. You really are. Any other mortal with the gift to see into our world would be scared half to death. But you always held things together. I know you'll be fine at that school." She grinned at Rachel before she kept going, "Those high-society snob would have anything on _you_. And, who knows? Maybe you'll make a friend or two, just like I've befriended you."

Rachel smiled sheepishly as Annabeth put her arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Annabeth said, "you could always IM us, telling us just how miserable you feel."

Rachel laughed slightly and they both looked at the sea again.

It was the end of an unforgettable and perilous summer, but the start of a wonderful friendship.


End file.
